One of Pretoria’s most noteworthy musicians is blues master Dan Patlansky, already dubbed South Africa’s “Mr Blues”.
Dan Patlansky is more than a well-known name – he is already a legend in his lifetime… but what makes a man a legend?
In the music industry one may think it is years of playing… like Sir Eric Clapton who has even been knighted. Music lovers though, know the making of a legend is in the playing. In the mastering of an instrument, but much more so in the individual interpretation of notes, chords and lyrics which in the hands of a master is the making of a musical legend.
Patlansky settled down in Pretoria after marrying a local girl, having grown up in Northcliff in Johannesburg. The couple has two children, a girl and a boy. Patlansky is careful not to push, but rather to encourage, in answer to my question about his kids becoming musicians in the future.
And while he is a giant on stage, he is by his own admission an introvert. He even has an album called Introvertigo. Yet in talking to him his inner energy drives his talking as surely as his blues riffs drive his music.
Where did his love for the blues come from? He talks about growing up with “roots music” – blues, punk, soul, jazz and classic rock. He was given a guitar at age nine but it was only later that the music bug bit hard.
Maybe the fact that his parents took him to the famous Blues Room in Sandton had something to do with it? As the saying goes, the rest is history. Though he received lessons at age nine he only seriously took up guitar when in high school. And yes, his career as a blues guitarist is history in the making. Eleven albums while still in his early forties, now that deserves a mention!
Blues music and more particularly singing the blues, is not the easy route to becoming famous or making money. But passion and love for the genre have carried Patlansky into a sphere a touch above the rest.
Sure, he still does some covers (listen to his version of “Hallelujah” ) – it is sure to give you chills. However, writing and performing original music has always been his goal, and, as he says, “my goal is to always make music I would want to listen to”.
Asked to define the blues he says, “Blues is the DNA of modern music as everything stems from it. Traditional blues is the simplest form of music – and it is all about how a muso improvises and interprets it that makes it unique – which is what I love about it”. Patlansky says blues gives him the platform to express himself, and clearly he instinctively feels what he writes – and plays.
His songwriting ability is easily as impressive as his world-class guitar technique. “I usually start with an idea, which takes shape in a riff and as it takes form in my head, I hum or sing along nonsense words just to get the feel. The lyrics then follow.” He says blues musos are usually guitar players who sing, not the other way around.
Since growing into his career as a professional muso, he has made his mark on the international stage and he has toured extensively in Europe. Laughingly he describes the difference between audiences in the various countries – of which the Germans are the most analytical. His following in those countries is extensive.
While he is a master of mellow blues, (Who I Am) his grooving tunes are foot-tapping rollicking riff-driven blues at its best; listen to “Hounds Loose”
During the Covid lockdown, Dan started giving lessons online, which has become so popular that he also hosts Blues guitar weekends where the twanging of 30 guitars together certainly makes for memorable moments. This is certain to become part of his legacy, as his passion is to foster the breeding of guitar culture.
Patlansky is no stranger to acclaim: Rated in the top five guitarists in the world, joining the exalted ranks of his role models Stevie Ray Vaughn and Joe Bonamassa, two of his albums are rated no. 1 in the world. In this vein, much more can be said about rankings and (musically) being in the stratosphere.
Here are some comments from Youtube: “This guy has a great blues feel, and singing while playing those riffs, is art in itself.”
“This is such an incredibly beautiful and heartfelt and powerful and moving piece of music and I love it so much” – this comment is about the theme song on his new album Movin’ On, listen to it here.
He is currently launching his album Movin’ On here and in Europe and Pretoria residents have an opportunity to attend the launch early next month.
Make sure to get to the Fairtree Atterbury Theatre on August 8 for the Pretoria launch of this album. Visit www.danpatlansky.com to make sure you do not miss out.
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